Atsuko Maeda’s Surprise Return to AKB48 Request Hour Set List!

| 48 / 46 Group | Posted by Kai Okudara on Jan.22.2015

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Fans who came to see the first day of “AKB48 Request Hour Set List Best 1035 2015″ were greeted with a surprise from a familiar face as the show kicked off at Tokyo Dome City Hall on January 21st.

Last November it was announced that AKB48 was going to break from their annual tradition of holding a “Request Hour Set List Best 100” series of concerts as they have done since 2008, and include all 1035 songs in their catalog. Thankfully, the songs ranked from 1035 to 201 were announced via their YouTube channel. When the screen at the back of the stage displayed “Yume no Kawa”, Atsuko Maeda‘s graduation song, at #200, questions on who would sing her lines were answered as soon as the “face of AKB48” herself appeared on stage.

The audience erupted with shouts of joy and called out “Acchan!” (Maeda’s nickname) as this unbelievable scenario unfolded, once again being able to see the smile that helped AKB48 become Japan’s “national idols”. After finishing the song Maeda commented, “I sort of messed up the lyrics but I had fun!”

In addition to the surprise appearance of Maeda during the opening song, Yuka Masuda appeared to sing “stargazer” (#187), graduated “Otona AKB48” member Mariko Tsukamoto took the stage for “Oshiete Mommy” (#189), and Haruka Katayama returned for her Team B unit song “Junjou Shugi” (#171). While it is not unusual for graduated members to return and perform songs they were known for at Request Hour, this was the first time that Maeda stood on an AKB48 stage since her graduation in 2012. Fans had voted “Yume no Kawa” as high as #9 in 2013 in hopes that Maeda would return but, due to her absence, a video of her tearful performance of the song at AKB48’s 2012 Tokyo Dome concert was shown. In 2014, the song dropped to #154, probably due to fans losing hope that Maeda would return. Thankfully, it just barely made it, despite dropping to #200.

During the encore, AKB48 performed the lead track of their album ” Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe!” for the first time, followed by Minami Takahashi’s first performance of her solo song “All of you”. The first day of “AKB48 Request Hour Set List Best 1035 2015” came to an end with “Kibouteki Refrain” but with the series of concerts concluding on January 25, what other possible surprises will reveal themselves in the next few days?

Day 1 Set List
200. Yume no Kawa
199. Omoidasenai Hana
198. Pinocchio Gun
197. Mina-san mo Go-Issho ni
196. Finland Miracle
194. Hoshizora no Caravan
194. RIVER
193. Nando mo Nerae!
192. RESET
191. Sunahama de Pistol!
189. Pioneer
189. Oshiete Mommy
188. Stargazer
187. Cloudy sky
186. Kanojo ni Naremasu ka?
185. Romance kakurenbo
184. Bokura no Eureka
183. Osuki + Dai Kirai = Daisuki!
182. Mushi no Ballad
181. Wink wa Sankai
180. Madoromi
179. Glory Days
178. Hajimete no Hoshi
176. Anata to Watashi
176. Sougen no Kiseki
175. Gyakuten Ouji-sama
174. Idol no Yoake
172. Heart no Doku Senken
172. Only Today
171. Junjou Shugi